Recent Comments by Peter

Census: Tell them you’re Indigenous, says academicJust a question for anyone who may know the answer (which is probably no one, as the Minister himself didn’t appear to have the answer on ABC this morning).
I don’t trust any level of government and, as the Minister kept saying this morning, the information gathered is to be shared with all levels of government.
Instead of putting my non-Indigenous name on the census, can I use my skin name instead?
And can I use my homeland instead of my street address?
I just don’t want some subcontinental backpacker from Barkly Regional Council selling my details to one of his telemarketing mates.
Of course it’s not going to happen. There is no corruption in any level of government in the NT, is there, and that’s why we don’t need an independent anti-corruption body.

Dylan Voller’s mistreatment started in Alice Springs@ Janet: We have been pushing to establish such a place for four years now.
It’s near one of our most dysfunctional communities. There is abundant water, great soil and close to major transport routes.
We have the full support of the elders. They want it to happen.
We have prepared a comprehensive business plan. It will cost less that $1.5 million a year to run initially and will be paying for itself within five years.
It’s using something the Territory Government spent $12 million building and the keys are still swinging in the doors.
We went to Darwin to sell it. Adam fobbed us off the Ron Kelly, who couldn’t be bothered getting back to us.
Styles wasn’t interested, nor was anybody else.
Somebody from the Federal Minister’s office at least read the proposal and got back to us but told us we were wasting our time because “blackfellas won’t work”. Her exact words.
Our plan isn’t all about working in a garden. Half the day will be spent on genuine education with a view to getting proper qualifications.
Good luck getting the CLP to listen.

Bulldoze vile, medieval Don Dale centre: CLP candidate@ Steve: As you are apparently about to stop being a local government representative and seek higher honours, I would like to offer you some advice.
Feel free to accept or ignore it, it is offered with good intentions to hopefully help you in your campaigning.
Firstly, you need to rethink your strategy of abusing and insulting people as your opening to pretty much every conversation.
Yes, it is a well-worn CLP tactic. If you want to guage its effectiveness, remember that by the 2020 election they will have been in power for just five of the past 20 years.
You really also need to stop attacking Labor, unions, Robyn and parents for all of the Territory’s ills.
Yes, the CLP inherited a train wreck. So did Labor in 2001, and again in 2016. By the way, Ms Lambley is in the same boat. Hearing politicians whinging about each other is a turn off at the ballot box.
It’s about playing the ball and not the man. In 14 paragraphs of bile, you managed just one paragraph where you offered any positive reason for voting for you. That paragraph was long on rhetoric – the same tired “just you wait” stuff many people stopped listening to ages ago – and short on any actual detail.
Yes Steve, the ALP will win the election. Part of the reason the Territory has ended up in its current state, however, is that your average voter feels disenfranchised by the process.
I have not read the part in the constitution, nor the Sentencing Act or the Electoral Act for that matter, that people cannot run as an independent.
Call me old fashioned but I have a belief that a robust exchange of reasoned opinion, backed by solid evidence and sound, non partisan advice is how Australia was built way back when.
I have no doubt you have many very good ideas based on your extensive experiences. I also have no doubt many of those ideas would work well in practice.
In our two-party preferred system, however, I also have absolutely no doubt you will be greatly disillusioned should you be lucky enough – or work hard enough – to win on August 27. You will be simply told to sit down the back and speak only when you are spoken to, using the lines that will be provided to you.
If you doubt that in any way, I suggest you try having a civil conversation with your opponent about it. If you don’t want to talk to her – and I wouldn’t blame you – I can provide a list.
That’s why I suggested you run as an independent. I was not joking. You impress me as a passionate person who is genuine in their desire to do some good for their community.
That’s a great thing. Every community needs champions. I personally doubt, through bitter experience, that you can achieve anything at all through a major party these days.
One day the CLP can hopefully be rebuilt to the wonderful institution it once was. One day the well-intentioned party faithful will start being listened to again.
Just don’t hold your breath waiting for it.
Yes Steve, I was a member of your branch for a time. My disillusionment with the party these days is in part that some of your heirachy has trampled all over the Westminster system but in the most part, that those same people have trampled all over the conventions of the organisation.
There is a lack of understanding of the real reasons for separation of powers and the damage done when those conventions are dispensed with.
One final thing – you asked what I have ever contributed to my community.
Four years ago I started a not for profit organisation in the Barkly that focused on delivering genuine, well researched youth justice outcomes.
As a result of the genuine, documented advances made by our team, we were finalists last year in ACOSS’s community service organisation of the year awards.
The other finalists were White Ribbon Day, Salvation Army and Red Cross.
The Minister removed our funding – without explanation – the day after we received the award.
We still operate, funded by my super.

Dylan Voller’s mistreatment started in Alice Springs@ Janet: Ah yes, the politicians are the scapegoats here.
Never mind that it was the CLP that framed and passed the legislation around the hood chair and all those other nasties.
Never mind it was the CLP which removed the youth from the old Don Dale into the “evil, mediaeval” Berrimah facility, despite plenty of protest from just about everyone in youth justice that it wasn’t fit and proper.
Never mind the CLP’s very own Attorney-General who ordered the police to go after the kids with dogs last year.
Never mind it was the CLP who ordered an “independent” report into that very same facility last year, then ignored its findings.
Never mind it was the CLP who had a report from the Children’s Commissioner 11 months ago that laid out everything that was in Four Corners on Monday night and didn’t just ignore it, moved on the author instead.
Never mind it was the CLP who invented a cover story to demonise the youth who were tortured as a justification.
Never mind it was the CLP who closed down effective, fuctional youth programs that were having evidential success in the youth justice arena.
Never mind it was the CLP who turned a blind eye to the abject failures of the former Corrections Commissioner, then rolled out the red carpet for him afterwards.
Never mind it was the Godfather of the CLP who, despite actually being the Federal Minister for Indigenous Affairs, couldn’t even be bothered watching it.
Of course, Corrections is the only dysfunctional department under the CLP. Say it three times, click your heels and spin around.